Political Quotes

“This week another American energy-producing company announced plant closures and worker layoffs, citing the Obama administration's authoritarian regulatory regime in part as a rationale for its decision. Yesterday Alpha Natural Resources announced closures of eight coal mines in three States, one of which is located in the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, which I'm proud to represent. Company officials, in announcing the closures, cited ``a regulatory environment that's aggressively aimed at constraining the use of coal.'' The decision will result in layoffs of 1,200 workers and an immediate 400 jobs lost in Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The fact that the coal industry is facing tough times isn't news. They have other energy competitors, including natural gas, and challenges with coal transport costs, energy, and labor costs. The issue that's newsworthy is the additional burden being placed on American employers during such difficult and tough economic times. The administration's announced intentions to eliminate coal, our most abundant natural resource, from our fuel mix, with no clear plan to replace it with any effective alternative, has taken a significant toll on employers and individuals across my home State.…”